[[from here]]No one had been within immediate range of the door, but Sasuke took care to keep in the shadow cast by the walls as he slipped outside
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[ from here ]As Naruto opened the door, Gaara followed him outside. It hit him with the air. The smell of soil. His irritation became too high. Abruptly, he stepped in front of him, turning to face the ninja from the leaf. There was a commotion not far off, but he ignored it. The sounds were filtered into the back of his focus; he bored his eyes into Naruto, bright hair and brighter personality
( ... )
Outside. Like an animal kept caged for too long, instinctively he wanted to bolt. Thoughts of Konoha, and would he ever see it again.
Naruto was about to take a step, but was surprised by Gaara's blocking their going forward. He raised his eyebrows at the sand ninja, who stood very plainly in front of him and-- yes, stared him down. There was a flicker of something complicated in his black-ringed eyes, but it was neither inviting nor soft.
Gaara told him to turn around, not once, but twice. He couldn't read pride as well as he could feel it, and felt instantly like a child being told to retreat-- for the repetition, for the assurance that he would receive his bat, and for being told to go back to Sasuke, who had a less than one percent chance of waiting around for them anyway. For being told every step of the way
( ... )
Gaara was not sure what he had expected. No, a lie: He had expected the blond to agree, to turn around, to go back. To listen. All previous experience had hinted, not at all subtly, that Uzumaki Naruto would do the exact opposite of any demand given. That seemed to be the case, and it proved true now
( ... )
Naruto held the stare and the glare, attempted to look twice as fierce as all that. It was only when Gaara lowered his head, just for a moment, that he felt his anger refined into something more difficult to grasp.
It couldn't be helped. Before Landel's, any interaction with the suna-nin wasn't exactly positive, nor were they on, technically, good terms. He learned only of Suna's cooperation after Sasuke's defection to Sound, but hadn't witnessed any of it. Only appreciated it after the fact.
Watching Gaara speak took the edge of his anger for some reason-- nothing he entirely understood, mind you. It was as if he was asking, but telling, but asking. Naruto's arms unfolded, if a bit reluctantly. "Hey," he started, hands fumbling onto his hips, posture indignant, but not as formally so. "Did you ever think that maybe I need your help?"
He pouted. "Sasuke's gone by now. If I go back I'll be alone."
It wasn't a way for him to be secretly brave; honestly, whatever his intital intentions had been, Naruto didn't want to turn back
( ... )
The intensity of his glare, of the stubborn hold of his arms together, wavered in the face of Naruto's loss of posture. The face-off was short-lived, and there seemed little point to unnecessary rigidity. Gaara would be caught further off-guard by what Naruto said
( ... )
"Wrong." Naruto corrected him immediately and loudly, pointing a finger to emphasize. "People are worth more than their skill levels in taijutsu
( ... )
Gaara blinked. Naruto was loud and pointing, and Gaara might have argued: Yes. They are also worth ninjutsu and genjutsu, and without those, they are useless. They became unable to be needed, and abandonment was nigh. If they could not then destroy, being useless, what was the point?
Naruto had a way of plowing on, and Gaara found himself giving in. It was not the time or place to launch into an extended debate, and Gaara disliked speaking.
He kept his mouth shut, lips pressing into a thin line. He doubted the Uchiha had gone that far, but the important part was the bat. Gaara nodded, and keeping his focus well away from the unresponsive soil (the back of Naruto's neck was a good spot, until the shed became primary), followed
( ... )
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Naruto was about to take a step, but was surprised by Gaara's blocking their going forward. He raised his eyebrows at the sand ninja, who stood very plainly in front of him and-- yes, stared him down. There was a flicker of something complicated in his black-ringed eyes, but it was neither inviting nor soft.
Gaara told him to turn around, not once, but twice. He couldn't read pride as well as he could feel it, and felt instantly like a child being told to retreat-- for the repetition, for the assurance that he would receive his bat, and for being told to go back to Sasuke, who had a less than one percent chance of waiting around for them anyway. For being told every step of the way ( ... )
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It couldn't be helped. Before Landel's, any interaction with the suna-nin wasn't exactly positive, nor were they on, technically, good terms. He learned only of Suna's cooperation after Sasuke's defection to Sound, but hadn't witnessed any of it. Only appreciated it after the fact.
Watching Gaara speak took the edge of his anger for some reason-- nothing he entirely understood, mind you. It was as if he was asking, but telling, but asking. Naruto's arms unfolded, if a bit reluctantly. "Hey," he started, hands fumbling onto his hips, posture indignant, but not as formally so. "Did you ever think that maybe I need your help?"
He pouted. "Sasuke's gone by now. If I go back I'll be alone."
It wasn't a way for him to be secretly brave; honestly, whatever his intital intentions had been, Naruto didn't want to turn back ( ... )
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Naruto had a way of plowing on, and Gaara found himself giving in. It was not the time or place to launch into an extended debate, and Gaara disliked speaking.
He kept his mouth shut, lips pressing into a thin line. He doubted the Uchiha had gone that far, but the important part was the bat. Gaara nodded, and keeping his focus well away from the unresponsive soil (the back of Naruto's neck was a good spot, until the shed became primary), followed ( ... )
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